D 270 
.T8 G9 
Copy 1 



D 270 







.T8 G9 






Copy 1 


ZBWLZLOb (£"¥" 








OP 

LENNART TORSTENSQN, 








Born, 1603 — Died, 1651, 








ttvfttift Ifetcr of the JSwedfeU §n1iUevy t 








FIELD MAESHAL — GENERALISSIMUS. 








JJltptetl ! — The Lightning ! 








" Like an Argus, he looked forth everywhere with an hundred Eyes, and then, like Brnereus, 
acted with an hundred Arms." — von Lundblad's " Swedish Plutarch.' 1 '' 








" In battle a Lion : everywhere else a Lamb." 

—Johannes Loccenius' '■'History of Sweden." 








" For I know him to be the very man who is especially qualified to command the whole 
Army." — Gustavus Abolphus, in 1632, to Oxenstiern. 








" The most active and talented of all the Generals in this (the Thirty Years') War." 

— Kohlrauscii's " History of Germany.'''' 








"Under Sweden's crown, Sweden's greatest commander." 

— Geijer's "History of the Swedes.'' 








% Enqal-Ettanw ; tamnrit-, nr ^ri)B-fentj. 








PRESENTED TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC 








J. WATTS de PEYSTER. 








Neto ¥orft : 








JULIUS R. HUTU, BOOK AND JOB PRINTER, 372 PEARL STREET. 








1873. 










- 



LEMART TORSTENSON, 

Born, 1603— Died, 1651. 
FIELD MAESHAL-GENEKALISSIMUS. 



MliVtm ! — The Lightning! 



" Like an Argus, he looked forth everywhere with an hundred Eyes, and then, like 
a Brisereus, acted with an hundred Arms. — von Lundblad's "Swedish Plutarch.' 1 '' 
"Under Sweden's crown, Sweden's greatest commander." 

— Geijer's "History of the Swedes.' 1 '' 
" For I know him to be the very man who is especially qualified to command the 
whole Army." — Gustavus Adolphds, in 1632, to Oxenstiern. 
" In battle a Lion : everywhere else a Lamb." 

—Johannes Loccenius' "Histoi^y of Sweden." 



BY 

J. WATTS DE PEYSTER, 

M.A., L.L. D., 

Brigadier-Genera*, M. F. S. N. Y., 1861; Brevet Major-General (by Concurrent 
Resolution, N. Y. State Legislature) N. G. S. N. Y., 1866; Honorary Member 
M ilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States ; First Hon- 
orary Member Third Army (of the Potomac) Corps Union ; 
&c, &c, &c. 



PREFACE. 

Readers, yonr attention is invited to the history 
of a hero who shone unrivaled in all the virtues of 
a soldier, a patriot, and a man. Seventeen years 
ago his biography was published by the writer^ but 
even when it was completed, after years of intense 
labor, the author was not aware of the real measure 
of the greatness he had attempted to commemorate 
and introduce to the American people. 

Although it was well known that Gustavus III, 
Sovereign of Sweden, one of the most sagacious of 
men and bravest of soldiers, had prepared the Eulogy 



2 

of Torstenson as the greatest of Sweden' s grand-cap- 
tains, administrators and diplomats, yet it was 
nearly fourteen years before a copy of that memorial 
conld be obtained. Even after it was received in 
this country, another long delay occurred before a 
scholar conld be found capable of doing justice to 
the original, difficult in its idioms of the past. 

Through the kindness of Mr. Habicht, Consul- 
General of Sweden and Norway, a translator, Mr. 
Corn, was at last engaged to render this beautiful 
composition into literal English, and to him the 
American biographer of Torstenson was indebted for 
the opportunity of herewith presenting a prize-paper 
- — carefully revised by the writer — so honorable to 
its author who was doubly crowned as king and 
orator, and to its subject, who was the decisive actor 
in the Thirty Years' War for the deliverance of 
Europe. 

One hundred and thirty -five years had elapsed 
since the death of the typical Swede, and yet the 
memory of his glory loomed up through that century 
and a quarter, scarcely less brilliant than when the 
victorious chieftain, alive, clad in steel and waving 
his truncheon as generalissimo, in the midst of the 
marvelous artillery he had created and at the head 
of his irresistible armies, dazed the eyes of "astound- 
ed Europe." 

The Royal author of this eulogy, as renowned in 
the arts of peace as of war, was unwilling to enter 
the lists of science and art, under the dazzling in- 
fluence of his crown. He was determined, as • an 
unknown competitor for the prize of eloquence and 
truth, to contest the honors for which he strove, in 
order that Sweden' s wisest might determine, if the 
theme was worthy of the occasion and the hero 
worthy of the eulogy. Both proved themselves 
equal to the honors — honors to crown with bays the 
temples of the kingly orator, laurels to deck the 
sarcophagus of the long since deceased general. 
Sweden recognized in the hero (Torstenson) who 
slept amid so many great captains, the greatest gen- 



3 

eral her soil— prolific of grand commanders— had 
given to humanity, to evangelical progress and to 
that science, war, on which, at last, depends the 
safety and success of a country. 

With this introduction, the Royal Essay— royal 
in its origin, royal in its style, royal in its rewards 
and royal in its subject— is presented to the Ameri- 
can reader. It is intended to serve as a preface to a 
Second Edition of the "Life of Torstenson," whose 
feats of arms present themselves as undoubted proofs 
that whenever our weapons achieved triumphs 
worthy of military citation, they were performed in 
obedience to those principles of sagacious Practical 
Strategy which the whole career of the Swedish hero 
served to exemplify— a career which demonstrates 
that the only true elements of successful warfare 
are those which are productive of decisive results 
and their true consequents— an honorable and en- 
during peace and the prosperity of a nation. 

J. W. deP. 



INTRODUCTION. 

History op the Eulogy upon Imperial Counselor (Riksradet) 
Count Lennart Torstenson. 

The first subject for competition which the Swedish 
Academy presented was "An Eulogy upon Field- 
Marshal Count Lennart Torstenson." Four papers 
were handed in, among which there was one which, 
by its surpassing merit, at once distinguished itself' 
That the gracious founder of the Academy, King 
(xustavus III, had written this paper, was and 
remained during the discussions (of the association) 
a profound secret to the members of the Academy. 
It was first scrutinized by selected members, and 
subsequently by the whole Academy, in the very 
presence of the King. No more certain proof can be 
given, either of the Academy's ignorance as to the 
author, or of the King's exalted mind, than the un- 
trammelled liberty with which the members ex- 



pressed their thoughts, and the forbearance with 
which even snch opinions were listened to and 
accepted which might contain remarks and reflec- 
tions. The annals of the Academy bear witness to 
the former, and the latter is preserved with pro- 
found impressions in the memory of those who, 
then, were present. The prize was awarded with- 
out any other object than to do justice to a great and 
unusual talent. The paper was read on the day of 
the celebration ; but the reward remained in the 
keeping of the secretary until the author should 
make himself known. 

The Academy soon commenced, however, to sus- 
pect the honor that had been conferred. But the 
King did not please to make himself known until 
during a conversation at the Academy, in the fol- 
lowing year, 1787, on the 28th November. This 
gave the secretary, who then was also director, 
an opportunity for ascertaining whether the King 
would look upon it with pleasure, if the Reserved 
Prize Medal of the Academy were respectfully ten- 
dered him ; and the hope he entertained in this res- 
pect was communicated by him to the Academy, 
at their meeting of 1st December, 1787. 

When the King, on the same day, honored the 
Academy with his high presence, and the members 
had risen, the Director made a speech in the name 
of the Academy, whereupon he humbly delivered 
the Prize Medal, which the King was pleased to 
accept, saying that ' ' it should be kept in the King' s 
Cabinet of Coins, together with a statement of the 
circumstances for the information of the future." 

Such is the history of an event which has no pre- 
cedent in the annals of literature — an event which 
the Swedish Academy, with mixed sentiments of 
admiration, gratitude and pride, transmits to mem- 
ory and posterity. 



upon 

litaM {£mim) gitU-WlWhtil* 
(&mnt of (tovtnU, 

a paper to Snfurf) 

ffiffls (SEiEaa: pais® ©jf s^ie sotcbms^ g«raffl«FjHg, 

JffiE 1786, ME<3£ aE5EaEIiE3B.t 



" To this hero's honor, astounded 
Europe, still, can witness bear." 



A protracted and unjust silence has distracted the 
memory of the Swedish nation from the heroes who 
either surrounded or followed immediately after 
Grustavus Adolphus. It would seem as if we shunn- 
ed their names, having lost the fruits of their con- 

* The word Felt-, or Field-Marshal, imports nothing else but that 
person who marshals the field, and is called in French, Marechal-de- 
Camp, and so the primitive institution of the office was, and so it 
continued, till within these fifty years (1620-1670) ; for the present, 
in Germany, Sweden and Denmark, those who command Armies- 
Royal, consisting of Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery, are qualified by 
the Titles of Felt-Marshals, and have an equivalent authority to the 
ancient Marshals of France, far above that of Marechals-de-Camp; 
and those Felt-Marshals have under them Lieutenant-Generals of the 
whole Army, Generals, and Major-Generals of Horse and Foot, and 
these last are now the Marshals of the Field, for they draw up the 
several Regiments and Brigades of both in order of Battle. So upon 
the matter, a Felt-Marshal is now General- or Commander-in-Chief of 
the Army, so were Baner, Torstenson and Wrangel, success- 
ively, one after another, in the long German War, under Christina, 
Queen of Sweden." Page 247, "Pallas Armata, Military Essays of 
the Ancient Grecian, Roman, and Modern Art of War," written in 
the years 1670 and 1671, by Sir .James Turner, Knight, London, 
printed by M. W. for Richard Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in 
S. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXIII. 

f From the First Volume of the Writings of King Gustavus III ; 
his Political and Miscellaneous Essays ; likewise his Correspon- 
dence, Stockholm, 1806. 



quests (1) ; as if the memory itself of a happiness 
that has vanished were a new grief ; as if the image 
of our country's former glory ought not to be re- 
called at a period when we were only occupying 
ourselves with strife ; when discord and persecution 
were tearing that country to pieces. But those 
times have disappeared ; the name of Gustavus 
Adolphus, consecrated to immortality by conquest 
and virtue, has come to be as cherished by us as it 
was by our ancestors, and the revival of his laws 
has resuscitated the veneration for his virtues. 

The Muses consecrated to the glory of heroes, 
celebrate now for the first time that day which — one 
hundred and ninety-two year ago — witnessed the 
birth (2) of a Father to Sweden, of a Liberator to 
Germany. A venerable minister (Archbishop Uno 
von Troil) expresses in the temple of the Lord the 
gratitude of posterity towards that God who gave 
us so good, so great a king. And whilst his name is 
thus exhalted by the guardians of religion, while it 
is sung by the voice of the skald (3), that Hero is not 
forgotten whom he himself had trained, who upheld 
and completed his work. Eloquence prepares itself 
to illustrate the merits of Torstenson, and an Asso- 
ciation which combines the most excellent men with 

(1) There was a time when, owing to particular reasons and pur- 
poses, it was attemped to dispute the great services Gustavus Adol- 
phus had rendered to the realm. It was insisted upon that his 
glorious reign was more brilliant than advantageous to the kingdom ; 
that it contributed more to the nation's honor than to its happiness. 
But if this great King has. after his death, suffered the same fate 
which most of the present Kings experience whilst still alive, his 
memory has, on the other hand, shared in the partisan spirit of the 
times ; for he has found as many ardent advocates as opponents. 

,.The former have, finally, conquered, and now it appears that the 
whole nation joins Europe in veneration for, and rejoicing at, this 
Great King's memory. 

(2) According to the statutes of the Swedish Academy, it is on the 
birthday of Gustavus Adolphus that its annual general festival is 
celebrated. King Gustavus Adolphus was born on the 9th of 
December, 1594. 

(3) The elevation to the throne of Gustavus Adolphus was the 
subject for competition in poetry. 



the greatest talents of the realm — in a word, the 
Swedish Academy — assembles with the object of 
crowning him who is the most eloquent. The prin- 
cipal citizens, the most beautiful, the most deserving 
among that sex which so well knows how to appre- 
ciate great actions, await the verdict of so enlight- 
ened judges. Who would not tremble at the sight 
of so illustrious an assemblage % And yet I venture 
to present myself, though astonished at my own 
boldness ; for as a Swede I am undaunted, and as a 
citizen I wish to offer an incense, though weak, on 
the altar, which, now, is to be kindled to the honor 
of Torstenson. It is the subject that elevates me ; it 
is of a hero I speak ; it is in the language of the 
heart that true eloquence consists. 



FIRST PART. 

It was when Charles IX. (1550-1611) still reigned, 
that Sigismund, expelled from the empire of his 
fathers, supported by the (Polish) people who had 
chosen him for king, endeavored to revenge himself 
on Sweden, for his own grievances, and on Charles, 
for the innocent blood which had been shed on the 
square of Linkoping. The Swedish nobility, divided 
between love for their creed and affection for their 
legitimate king, hated Charles as a tyrant, but feared 
him as a great man ; commiserated the injustice 
done to Sigismund, but considered him incapable of 
wearing the crown of Gustavns Ericson. These 
views increased the sufferings of the individual, 
whilst they caused the continuance of those of the 
community. Citizen against citizen, relative against 
relative, brother against brother, were seen in con- 
flict for either the one or the other of these kings, 
whom their affection, their gratitude, or their fear, 
compelled them to follow — and all contribute to the 
misery of the land. Hardly any family could be 
considered as united. If, on the one hand, Anders 



Lennartson of Torstena (1) fought at Stangebro for 
Charles, his brother, Torsten Lennartson, faithful to 
Sigismund, saw himself, on the other hand, obliged 
to leave his native land, confiding, during his flight, 
to his mother's care, an only son, a child of eleven 
weeks. 

O thou faithful Swedish knight ! If thy eyes 
could have read in the book of the future ! If thou 
couldst have foreseen that this son, this fatherless 
child, was some day to become the hero who bridled 
the (Imperial) Eagle's pride, and before whose arm 
the enemies of Sweden were to tremble, thy heart 
would have been consoled, and, content with thy 
fate, thou wouldst, without repining, have pursued 
the course thy faithfulness had prescribed. 

Margaret Ekeblad, the widow of a soldier (Lennart 
Torstenson) who had sacrificed himself and lost Jris 
life (in King Eric' s war with the Danes) against the 
enemies of the kingdom, employed all her care to 
develop in her grandson the heroism which was 
hereditary in the races of the Torstens. 

The fate of a lifetime often depends upon the im- 
pressions which the soul receives in childhood. The 
objects which, in the most lively colors, picture 
themselves in the eyes of youth, are those which fix 
their attention, fire their imagination, and stimulate 
their ardor to imitate what they admire. Torsten- 
son, born in an age when foreign and domestic wars 
occupied the minds of all, felt a burning desire to 
follow in his grandsire' s footsteps, and by a warrior's 
deeds make his name celebrated. 

Charles IX. was dead ; great as king, bad as citi- 
zen, excellent as statesman ; stern, severe, tyranni- 
cal, but anxious for the honor, the independence of 
-the kingdom ; a dangerous rival, but still more dan- 
gerous as a subject ; the only one of his brothers 
and sisters who would have been like his father, 

(1) At the battle of Stangebro he led the right wing of Duke 
Charles IX's army, and contributed considerably to the victory by 
his valor. See von Dalin's "History of the Swedish Empire," 3 
vols. , 2 parts. 



provided fate had permitted him to be born to a 
crown, and had saved him from obtaining it by 
crime. He had left his kingdom at war : first with 
Poland, which was more intent npon the acquisition 
of Liefland (Livonia) than upon replacing Sigismund 
on the throne of Sweden he had lost ; second, with 
Denmark, which thought the time opportune to 
avail herself of Sweden's intestine discord for the 
extension of her own boundaries ; third, with part 
of Russia, which, united with Sigismund, intended 
to hurl Sweden's greatest ally, Vasili Schuski, from 
a throne (the Russian) to which the son of Sigismund 
aspired, on which an impostor (Demetrius) had seat- 
ed himself, but which, after the fall of Schuski, 
seemed to be destined for a prince of the House of 
Vasa. (Duke Charles Philip elected Grand Duke of 
Muscovy at the death of Charles IX., 1611.) 

Within the kingdom all was consternation, uncer- 
tainty ; three hereditary princes, but no positive 
successor to the throne (1) ; a foreign soldiery, un- 
governable and discontented ; an empty exchequer ; 
an excited multitude. No distinguished family but 
mourned for a father, a brother, a son, sacrificed to 
the vengeance of Charles ; Kalmar in the power of 
Denmark ; Jonkoping threatened by Danish armies, 

(1) Duke John, of East Gothland, being the son of King John, 
seemed to have had the nearest right to the crown, while, however, 
Gustavus Adolphus, eldest son of Charles IX., was, by the resolu- 
tions in Norrkoping, considered successor ; but although Charles IX. 
had died at the palace of Nykoping on 30th October, 1611, the Diet 
was not proclaimed in the name of Gustavus Adolphus, but of Duke 
John and of the Dowager-Queen ; and, at its opening, it was Duke 
John who made the address on 10th December. At the same time 
a representation was made to the Estates in the name of the Dow- 
ager-Queen, that they should declare which of the three hereditary 
princes they desired to acknowledge as King ; the sons of Charles 
IX., obligating themselves, in case the choice fell on Duke John, to 
acknowledge him as King. Finally, Duke John made his formal 
resignation in the Chamber of the Diet, on 14th December, 1611, and 
Gustavus Adolphus was accepted as King and declared to have 
attained his majority. From all this, it clearly appears that the 
change made by Charles IX, in the order of succession, was not 
firmly established at his death, and only beeame so when Gustavus 
Adolphus was proclaimed King. 



10 

and a seventeen-year-old prince, the onl} 7 hope to 
maintain the integrity of the kingdom. But this 
youth is G-ustavus Adolphus. He stood forth, he 
ascended the throne, and everything assumed a 
different form and appearance. His valor resisted 
the enemy ; his gentleness, his virtues conciliated 
the citizen. The nation soon forgot the son of 
Charles IX., only to venerate and cherish a young 
prince, gifted with the best qualities of soul and 
body, trained to save the kingdom ; and soon there 
were gathered round him the children of those who 
had suffered for the sake of Sigismund, and who 
now became the firmest supports of the throne of 
Gustavus Adolphus. Torstenson, who had found 
in the house of his father's sister, the shelter of 
which death had robbed him in that of his father' s 
mother, burned with ardor to follow the king whose 
name already filled Sweden with astonishment. 
Riksrad (Senator) Boo Ribbing introduces him to 
the King, who accepts him as his Page (or " Squire 
of the Chamber.") To be trained at the Court of 
Gustavus Adolphus was to be trained in camp. The 
Peace of Knarod had freed Sweden of one enemy ; 
but Sigismund was still alive, and Liefland (Livonia) 
was the field where heroes were to be bred. 

Gustavus Adolphus hastens to the conquest of 
Riga, and young Torstenson follows him. The walls 
of Riga are stormed, and Jan Baner is the first to 
climb them. He drives the enemy before him, and 
takes the commander prisoner. Riga is taken, and 
Gustavus Adolphus, on the battle-field, raises Baner 
to the chief command. This was the first sample of 
war (1621) displayed before the eyes of Torstenson — 
a hero' s victory, his reward, his valor. What an 
encouraging sight for one who burned with ardor 
for glory ! Soon a truce places bounds to his desire 
to combat at the side of his king ; but already Gus- 
tavus Adolphus knows the value of the youth he 
trains. 

The Netherlands were, at that time, the school for 
the science of war. A people contended there 



11 

against the most powerful king of Europe, to free 
itself from a yoke which the cruelty of the Duke of 
Alba and the tyranny of Philip II. had attempted to 
impose. It had its courage, its despair, and William 
of Orange, wherewith to meet the Spanish power, 
the wealth of Peru, and the house of Austria. The 
conflict had lasted for sixty years, and had produced 
great leaders on both sides, as well as a thorough 
knowledge (of the art and science of war). Maurice 
of Orange, William's worthy son, carried out the 
work his father had commenced, and Spinola, 
worthy to combat against so great a warrior, retain- 
ed part of the Netherlands under the rule of Spain. 
It was to this school that Gustavus Adolphus sent 
Torstenson, with part of Sweden' s young nobility. 
Gustavus Horn, already known in Swedish armies 
as a great captain, whose misfortunes (Nordlingen) 
Torstenson was, some day, to efface with victories, 
(Leipsic ii — Janikau,) was the leader (1620) of these 
young squires. It was under the supervision of 
this great man, and under the command of Maurice 
and Frederic-Henry of Orange, (the most renowned 
chieftains of that day,) that Torstenson fought dur- 
ing two years. But the truce with Poland expires, 
and Gustavus Adolphus recalls these young squires 
to their native land. Torstenson had already by 
the side of his king, and under the Prince of Orange, 
shown that he had left behind the years of child- 
hood. The sword, a knight' s most worthy emblem, 
was then not considered a mere ornament. Youth 
had to merit the right to wear decorations of honor ; 
not before proofs of manhood had been given was it 
thought to have got beyond childhood. Gustavus 
Adolphus confirms Torstenson' s manhood (at the 
Castle of Gripsholm, 23 October, 1624) ; a sword is 
given him by the King' s hand ; the Life Banner 
(Royal-Ensign) of the Guards is intrusted to him. 

Fields of Wallhoff ! you can bear testimony 
to Torstenson' s valor ! The enemy driven off, the 
soldiery once more gathered round the Life-Banner, 
victory given to Gustavus Adolphus ! All indica- 



12 

tions of what Torstenson some day will be. His 
perspicacity, Ms valor, lead him soon to the chief 
command ; when Sigismund, fatigued, in the vain 
attempt to compete for a crown of which he is de- 
prived, more by the virtues of Gustavus Adolphus 
than by the cunning and severity of Charles IX., 
concludes a truce of six years with an enemy 
(Gustavus Adolphus) whom he has found to be 
invincible. 

Torstenson returns to his native land, where he 
has scarcely arrived, when Gustavus Adolphus en- 
trusts him with the Chief Command of the Artillery. 
A larger field opens np to the hero ; a field on which 
the eyes of contemporaries and of posterity shall be 
fixed. The question is no more, which of Gustavus 
Ericson' s grandsons is to wear the crown of Sweden % 
It regards the destinies of Europe ; it regards the 
liberty of Germany, and the existence of the 
Evangelical Creed. 



SECOND PART. 

The Austrian house, which had gone forth from 
out of the (Swiss) mountains of Hapsburg, to rise to 
that height of power which already, under Charles 
V., threatened fetters to Europe— divided after his 
death, but still terrible — had, by the elevation of 
Ferdinand II. to the imperial throne, appeared to 
gain renovated strength ; since an ambitious prince 
imparts new life to the government, even if by his 
ambition he places it in danger of being crushed. 
The princes of Germany trembled at his boldness. 
Irritated by his pride, excited to resistance by 
religion, they were all armed, but not united. 
Bohemia had given the first sign of opposition, and 
Frederic of the Palatinate, elected King, vanquish- 
ed, driven from his throne, had seen himself robbed 
of the lands of his ancestors, and, a fugitive, had 
experienced that an unfortunate king is the most 



unfortunate of men. His fall had still further 
strengthened the power of Ferdinand and added to 
the chains of Germany. Her princes, expelled from 
their lands ; robbed of their cities ; coerced in their 
religion, without protection of the laws, which 
were despised, transgressed, and trodden under foot ; 
had at length found themselves brought to that des- 
pair which is born when all hope of better times 
appears impossible. Christian IV., the only king 
who had dared to protect them, had appeared, had 
fought ; but, conquered and pursued, he had with 
difficulty, and by a despicable peace, saved himself 
from Ferdinand's wrath and vengeance. All seemed 
lost, and Germany' s liberty forever shackled, when 
a hero, whom Ferdinand had offended, came to 
avenge his own wrongs, the wrongs of his religion 
and those of Germany, and the entire aspect of 
things was changed. 

On the one side was seen Ferdinand, supported by 
Hungary, Bohemia, Italy, the Roman Catholic 
League, the power of Spain, the treasures of the 
New World, by Tilly, by Wallenstein, still uncon- 
quered, and flushed with the victories of thirty 
years ; on the other side, Protestants, who had their 
religion, their despair, and Gustavus Adolphus. 

Torstenson, the pupil of his king, to whom his 
thunderbolts had been entrusted, follows him (since 
1629, Commander-in-Chief of the Artillery) like the 
god of the armies. Dentin, Frankfort on Oder, 
Landsberg, Greiffenhagen ! ye triumphal fields that 
were the first fruits of his victories ! your dilapi- 
dated walls, your unprotected towers, gave terrible 
evidence of the strength of his wrath ; your fugitive 
inhabitants spread the renown of his name over 
Germany, and this renown, which struck terror 
into the enemy, revived the hope that Ferdinand 
was not invincible. Pomerania and Mecklenburg 
yield with delight to -the protection of their 
Liberator. 

Gustavus Adolphus advances ; Berlin opens her 
' gates. The Elector, astonished at finding a master 



14 

in his brother-in-law, but still trembling at the 
Eagle's thunder, follows Gustavus and delivers his 
fortresses into his hands. Saxony, nearer the power 
of Ferdinand, is more vacillating ; Gustavus ap- 
proaches ; fear is changed into hope, and hope is 
established (as faith) by being united with the hero. 
Ferdinand, incensed that a Gfothic prince dares 
measure his strength with the power of the Hapsburg, 
sends Tilly to avenge, to punish, and to finish, in 
one day, the war, the fate of Germany and the glory 
of Gustavus ; Tilly, the chieftain, the conqueror of 
thirty years, who has never met with (successful) 
resistance, and has merited the name of ' ' Invinci- 
ble." 

Whither hastenest thou, audacious leader ? Thou 
hastenest to thy fall. In one day thou shalt lose 
the fruit of the labors of sixty years. Fortune, 
whom thou hast attached to thy banners, shall tear 
herself from them. Victory abandons thee. She 
declares herself on the side of the just ; but too long 
has she been subservient to might and to injustice. 
A young prince, a still younger commander, are 
armed for thy fall ; the hour has struck — learn to 
know thy superiors. 

Leipsic ! Thou sawest, for the first time, Swe- 
ish armies as conquerors, the courage of Gustavus, 
the valor of the Finns, (1) and the glory of Torsten- 
son. It was not in vain that Gustavus Adolphus 
had entrusted him with the artillery ; he (Torstenson) 
proved on that remarkable day that he was worthy 
of this confidence. Gustavus conquered, Tilly fled, 
Germany raised her head, shook her chains, and 
thought herself already liberated. And so ye shall 
be, ye brave Germans ; but yet much is to be ven- 
tured. Beware, lest too sudden a hope cool your 
desire for the battle-field ; beware lest the Emperor' s 
cunning mislead you ; preserve among yourselves 
unity and confidence in your liberators. Your only 

(1) It was principally the wing of the Swedish army consisting of 
Finnish troops which contributed to the victory. 



15 

danger consists in your discord, in your fears (1). 
Gustavus advances ; and Torstenson announces Ms 
arrival by conquering cities. 

Erfurt, Konigshafen, Wurzburg, are taken. Ye 
banks of Rhine and Lech, proud of your fortresses, 
ye are to feel your conqueror ! In vain are ye 
crowned with towers and walls ; they only serve to 
make conquest more illustrious ! 

At Kreutznach Torstenson meets with unexpected 
resistance ; the scaling-ladders are fastened to the 
walls, and the soldiery, animated to the assault by 
their commander, see in him the first to mount the 
rampart. They follow him with double ardor ; but 
soon struck on his head by a stone, he loses his 
strength, but not his courage ; he lifts his arm to 
revenge himself; the sword drops powerless, his feet 
tremble, the ladder slips from his hands, and, in- 
sensible, he falls prone from the height of the wall. 
The soldiery think him dead ; revenge and despair 
double their courage. Kreutznach is taken, and 
Torstenson, returned from the gates of death, finds 
himself but too well avenged. 

The victorious arms of Gustavus Adolphus ani- 
mate all those princes who, downtrodden, persecuted 
or conquered by Ferdinand, look upon the Emperor 
as deserted by fortune. Among these, the most 
unfortunate, and the one who was the very cause of 
the war, Frederick, King of Bohemia, deprived, in 
one battle, of his hereditary lands, thinks the time 
has now arrived for driving Maximilian of Bavaria 
from his capital, and for avenging his ruin. 

Gustavus Adolphus resolves to carry the war into 
Bavaria, Maximilian and Tilly hasten to meet him. 
A river divides the two armies. Victory alone can 
open a way across. Lech ! thy hurrying waves 



(1) Gustavus Adolphus, and after his death his generals, encoun- 
tered more trouble and difficulty through the envy of the German 
princes, and their secret plottings with the Emperor, than from 
grappling with the whole Austrian power. This conduct was more 
particularly brought to light subsequent to the death of Gustavus 
Adolphus, and afterwards after the loss of the battle of Nordlingen. 



16 

shall become as immortal as tlie strands of Granicus, 
and the Hero who shall bridle thee surpasses the 
Macedonian king as much in the art of war and in 
prudence, as he surpasses him in virtues. 

Torstenson, who in artillery displays a power as 
new as it is unknown to the world — a fire, continu- 
ous, enduring and rapid — carries from the heights 
on this shore of the river Lech, death among the 
enemies ; and a cloud of smoke enwraps the army 
of Gustavus. The enemy, astonished, hesitating at 
first, hastens to resist, and already the Finns are 
overpowered. The earth seemed as if to raise itself 
above its surface, and to convert itself, on all sides, 
into ramparts, which covered the Northern heroes. 
Thou wert thyself astonished, thou valiant Tilly ! 
but thy courage, thy experience, would dearly have 
•sold the victory to thy enemies, had not a shot, a 
mortal shot, ended thy illustrious career by an 
illustrious death, and left victory and Bavaria in the 
power of Grustavus. 

Maximilian, vanquished, compelled to abandon 
his country, his cities, flies, and repents, too late, 
his hard-heartedness towards his own blood, and his 
attachment to Germany's tyrant. Gustavus, as 
conqueror, carries (the dethroned) Frederic -into the 
capital of his persecutor; Munich trembles from 
fear of Frederic's revenge, but is comforted by the 
generosity of Gustavus. Augsburg and Nurnberg 
submit to the conqueror. Now Maximilian implores 
the protection of Ferdinand. Ferdinand, who is 
indebted to him for his first victory (1), for a crown ; 
Ferdinand, for whose sake he is now persecuted by 
Frederic, sacrifices to him his just anger. He does 
more ; he subdues his pride and invokes the assist- 
ance of Wallenstein ; Wallenstein, whom he had 
discarded after so many victories ; Wallenstein, who 

(1) Maximilian of Bavaria had gained the victory of Prague (on 
the White Mountain) on 8th November, 1620, which hurled Frederic 
of the Palatinate from the Bohemian throne, and placed the crown 
of Bohemia on the head of Ferdinand II., who created Maximilian 
Elector in place of the deposed Frederic. 



17 

had forgotten that he was a subject, and who had 
defied his master. Ferdinand conquers himself in 
order to save Maximilian and to revenge himself on 
Gustavus Adolphus ; Tilly is dead ; Wallenstein is 
the only one capable of regaining the victory, and 
Wallenstein is sufficiently magnanimous, sufficiently 
proud, to forgive his emperor, to join his (personal) 
enemy, Maximilian, (1) and carry him back to his 
capital. Their united armies approach Nurnberg, 
but are compelled to give way. Gustavus Adolphus 
attacks their own camp. Now commences the most 
inveterate contest, and Torstenson, at the head of 
the Swedish armies, braves every danger. At every 
point he is to be seen ; one might imagine it were 
his first display at arms — Maximilian and Wallen- 
stein are warriors worthy of combating against — 
until finally, surrounded, harrassed, bleeding, he is 
forced to deliver himself up into the enemy's hands, 
and is carried, a captive, to Ingolstadt. 

Oh shame ! Oh times of barbarism and violence ! 
A wounded prisoner, a hero, taken with arms in 
hands, is treated as a criminal ! A sombre vault, a 
dwelling destined for murderers, is the one in which 
Torstenson is confined ; its unhealthy air (2), the 
yellowish water which oozes through its walls, the 
sulphur-like fog that fills it, the darkness which 
makes day appear like night, are honorable evi- 
dences of the terror with which thy glory has in- 
spired thy enemies ; this horrible cell is their shame 
and thy honor. Take courage, Torstenson ! Wallen- 



(1) This negotiation with Wallenstein was so much the more 
troublesome, as Wallenstein was a personal enemy of the Elector of 
Bavaria. The extravagant benefits, which Wallenstein claimed and 
received from the Emperor before he would consent to resume the 
command, are generally known ; benefits which still more fomented 
his pride, and which finally caused his misfortune. 

(2) This prison, filled with sulphurous vapors, was the cause of 
Torstenson's deteriorated health, which eventually deprived his 
country of this Hero at an age which ought to have promised a pro- 
longed life. He was only 48 years old when he died. See Berch's 
" Celebrated Men and Women," p. 144. 



18 

stein himself blushes at the treatment thou hast 
experienced ; he shall himself contribute to unlock 
thy chains. (1) Thy King mourns thy fate. Alas, 
thou shalt soon shed tears for him ! 

Nine months pass by. and Torstenson, with a 
hero's fortitude, bears up under the contemptible 
cruelty of Maximilian. At length his prison doors 
are opened ; his chains removed ; he is free ! he goes 
forth ! 

General rejoicings fill the city; bonfires are lit; the 
sound of the bells calls the people to the temple of 
the Lord, to praise Him ; the whole pomp of the 
Romish Church is employed to celebrate a public 
joy. Torstenson, like one returned from the dwell- 
ings of the dead, inquires, astonished, for the reason 
of such great rejoicing. The enemy of Ferdinand, the 
enemy of Rome, is no more ! Gustavus Adolphus 
is killed ! Oh my King ! Oh Hero ! Oh jjero of my 
Fatherland ! thou art no more S Why am I not 
still in the dwelling of darkness ? Why was I not 
there permitted to end my days % I would have be- 
lieved my country victorious, my king alive ; I 
would have died content. He is no more. Enemies 
of Sweden, tremble ! As long as this arm can wield 
a sword, as long as this blood runs in my veins, I 
devote you to my revenge, to death, to destruction ! 
He speaks, and hastens away from a place where 
all display such hateful joy. (2) Oxenstiern, Gus- 
tavus' confidential friend and enlightened coun- 
sellor, had upheld everything since the death of the 
King. It seemed as if the great soul of Gustavus 
hovered over his allies and sustained their courage. 
It was Oxenstiern who freed Torstenson from his 
fetters ; but this did not suffice. He knew the love 

(1) Wallenstein himself paid to the Elector of Bavaria the ransom 
for Torstenson, whom he subsequently exchanged for his brother-in- 
law, Count Harlach. 

(2) Nothing proves better the success of Gustavus Adolphus, and 
the terror with which his great qualities inspired the enemy, than 
the indecent and extravagant joy which the Roman Catholic League 
evinced at the news of his death. 



19 

he bore his king ; he foresaw the despair he would 
feel at his death, and Oxenstiern desired to bestow 
upon Torstenson that consolation which is most 
worthy of a hero : to take his revenge on the enemy 
by victories. Torstenson, at the head of the troops 
sent him by the Riks-Chancellor, advances across 
the Lech and attacks Landsberg. A few days have 
elapsed since his chains were unloosed, and the 
enemies discover with anger and surprise that Lands- 
berg is taken. But if the generosity of his heart 
had despised the cruelty of a prison, his body could 
not resist such heavy trials, and his grief at the 
death of G-ustavus Adolphus filled the measure. 
His strength gave way, and to Count Horn he trans- 
ferred the command. He had to look for quiet in 
order to recover the strength he desired to use in 
his country's service." His grief carries him to the 
spot where the earthly remains of Gustavus Adol- 
phus still are kept. 

That arm which curbed the ambition of Austria, 
which removed the chains from Germany, which 
protected her liberty, now is rigid ; that heart which 
burned for glory, which felt for the unfortunate, 
which, with such deep affection, loved his own peo- 
ple, that heart now is cold ! Gustavus Adolphus is 
no more ! His immortal soul has risen to the dwell- 
ings of the just, but his name still excites his sub- 
jects to revenge, and the German princes and 
Estates to defence ; and his inanimate body, sur- 
rounded by trophies and by grateful subjects and 
strangers, is carried to the Fatherland, there to rest 
in the Sanctuary of his God. 

Torstenson hastens towards Wolgast. Once more 
he desires to see the king he had loved, the hero, 
who had been his foster-father, his teacher ; whose 
hands he wishes to bathe in his tears. He desires to 
enjoy the last consolation of approaching the earthly 
remains of him whose life he would repurchase with 
his own. Here he finds Jan Baner, Maria Eleonora, 
the foremost princes of Germany, the most dis- 
tinguished of Sweden's nobility. It is with this 



20 

majestic escort of heroes, of a tender consort, of 
trophies, of dismayed subjects, that Gustavus is 
carried back to his Fatherland. Torstenson returns 
to Stockholm. The tender sentiments which the 
heart experiences when, after a long absence, return- 
ing to one's native land, one finds one's self sur- 
rounded by relatives and friends, cannot be felt by 
Torstenson. Entirely abandoned to his grief, all 
that presents itself to his eyes revives the memory 
of the hero he laments. He sees Stockholm again ; 
but what a difference between now and the time 
when he left this (Sweden's) capital ! In place of a 
king surrounded by heroes, by a people whom he 
had united, he now finds a nation steeped in grief, 
counsellors agreed as to upholding the realm, but 
anxious at the great task with which they are en- 
trusted ; and, finally, on the throne, a tender child, 
who expects to find her support in her innocence 
alone. But this child was the daughter of Gustavus 
Adolphus. He embraces her feet, and to her, but 
still more to the memory of her father, he swears 
eternal allegiance, and, inspired by the purest at- 
tachment to Christina, he abandons himself ex- 
clusively to his grief and to the duties of his 
important office. Soon love comes to soothe his 
sorrow. A young beauty, descended from a race 
wont to bridle the Sarmat's arrogance, conquers his 
heart. Hymen hallows his flame, and indissoluble 
ties unite him to Beata de la Gardie. [She formed 
a consort worthy of such a spouse, followed him to 
the wars, was captured by the Imperial cavalry at 
Janikau, and was released by a charge led by her 
own intrepid husband.] 



21 
THIRD PART. 

By the death of Gustavus Adolphus, the male line 
of the house of Vasa was extinguished on the Swed- 
ish throne. Christina, daughter of the Great Gus- 
tavus, unanimously done homage to and acknowl- 
edged as sovereign, had with her Father's Crown 
also inherited his enemies ; and, among these, one 
who, although he was in reality the least dangerous, 
still bore a name and had rights which appeared 
capable of shaking Christina's throne, inasmuch as, 
in addition to the crown of Poland, he possessed 
the honor of being the only male descendant of 
Gustaf Ericson, since his two brothers were dead 
to the world [one, John Casimir, was a Cardinal, 
and Charles Ferdinand was a Jesuit and a Roman 
Catholic Bishop]. Vladislav, son of Sigismund, born 
Swedish crown-prince, and even after his father's 
misfortune acknowledged as such in Sweden, having 
lost the crown only by the latter' s fault, and not 
through anything with which he himself could be 
reproached, had been elected King of Poland at the 
very period when the Truce, stipulated by Gustavus 
Adolphus, expired. The guardians of Christina, 
immovable in their affection for the blood of Gus- 
tavus Adolphus, were anxious firmly to place the 
crown on her head, and to preserve the Liberty of 
Germany. They offer peace to Poland, but they 
recommend Jacob de la Gardie — whose name alone 
was sufficient to strike terror in the Polish armies; (1) 
who, with credit, had fought under three kings; (2) 



(1) Count Jacob de la Gardie's victories over the party of the 
Demetri, and over the Poles, had struck such terror in these nations 
that his name was placed in the Litany, where it remained for many 
years. 

(2) Jacob de la Gardie had been brought up at the court of King 
John III., and had served in the armies during the reigns of Kings 
Sigismund, Charles IX. and Gustavus Adolphus. He was King 
John III.'s grandson by the latter's natural daughter, Lucretia 
Gyllenhielm, and now, as Riks-Marsk, he was the second of Queen 
Christina's guardians. 



22 

and who, to the honor of having become gray be- 
neath laurels, added a still greater honor of having 
had a Gustavus Adolphus for his pupil — now to 
leave (for a space) the guardianship of Christina, in 
order, in the evening of his life, still, again, to fight 
for his young queen. He begs his new relative, 
brave Torstenson, (1) to accompany him, and to be 
the prop of his age. He approaches the shores of 
Poland, and the rumor of his arrival accelerates the 
conclusion of another Truce. (2) He leaves his army 
to Torstenson and returns to his native land. Not 
without emotion does Torstenson receive the com- 
mand. From the teacher (military preceptor, such 
as Schwerin was to Frederic the Great) of Gustavus 
Adolphus he had still hoped to learn ; but greater 
dangers (elsewhere) require his presence. The honor 
of the Swedish arms calls him to Germany ; Baner 
awaits him ; his (Torstenson' s) presence alone can 
bring back fortune to the Swedish armies. [Was he 
not "the only man" whom Gustavus the Great de- 
clared to be (already in 1632) "especially qualified to 
command the whole army ' ' ? (Loccenius, 715. )] Who 
can resist Baner and Torstenson united 2 Ye cities, 
vacillating in your fidelity ! ye princes, who fear 
Ferdinand' s revenge ! ye allies, who think the for- 
tune of Sweden vanished ! ye enemies, who presume 
on your victories ! ye faithless friends, who betray 
your own country, your protectors, whom you 
abandon for your oppressor ! learn what two great 
men may do. (3) Torstenson hastens to the assistance 

(1) Beata de la Gardie, the wife of Torstenson, was the daughter 
of Baron John Pontus de la Gardie, the brother of Riks-Marsk Jacob 
de la Gardie. 

(2) The Truce between Sweden and Poland was concluded for 
twenty-six years at Stumsdorf by the mediation of France. 

(3) The battle of Nordlingen and the peace of Prague, in con- 
sequence of which the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg and 
other princes abandoned Sweden, had changed her fortunes, and 
caused her power in Germany to waver, until the victories of Baner 
and Torstenson, combined with the treaty concluded by the Riks- 
Chancelor Oxenstiern with France, at Campienne, infused new life 
into her affairs. 



of Baner ; and hardly lias he entered Germany when 
a victory announces his arrival. Marasini, con- 
quered at Wollin, saves himself with difficulty 
under the walls of Stargard. Torstenson permits 
him to fly, convinced that a prudent warrior must 
not allow himself, from any cause, however brilliant, 
to be diverted from his main objective. 

Torstenson hastens towards Baner, and they join 
their forces at Malchin. (1) Here my voice stops 
short. I know now the extent of the task I have 
imposed upon myself. In whatever direction I turn 
my eyes on the remarkable events which the his- 
torian has preserved, I find difficulty in doing them 
justice ; not to fatigue by the enumeration of so 
many victories, and yet to make mention of them, 
and rightly to select the best ; not to forget those 
which, although not productive of eventful results, 
are yet noteworthy through the genius of the 
leaders. What examples ! what a school for war- 
riors ! Baner and Torstenson combat together ! 
Sweden' s fortunes, lately wavering in Germany, are 
already re-established ; victory has returned, and 
everywhere the enemy flies. Here words are wanting 
me to describe such varied victories, so many con- 
quests ; be it when Torstenson, on the battle-field at 
Wittstock, under Baner' s command, prepares for 
him, with the Swedish vanguard, a complete victory, 
and at Chemnitz contributes to the dispersing of the 
enemy ; or be it when Torstenson, alone, defends 
the shores of the Saale, and makes them a barrier 
against the attacks of an enemy superior in force ; 
or be it when, during Baner' s absence, he gives this 
hero time to recover from the blow inflicted by the 
loss of a beloved wife ; or be it when, despising the 
hypocritical voice of flattery and discord, and filled 
with ardor for his Fatherland, he keeps alive his 
intimate friendship with Baner. Both these men 
were worthy of each other ; both were without 



(1) In all these descriptions of the deeds of Torstenson, Kanslirad 
Berch's "Lives of Celebrated Swedes" has been followed. 



24 

jealousy, without other ambition than best to serve 
their country— the true sign of greatness in men. 
But so many cares, so much fatigue, have exhausted 
his strength. His body is not equal to his mind; he 
is compelled to seek rest ; he is permitted to return 
home, where he is installed in the highest office in 
the realm, and takes his seat in the council. But- 
soon he is called to more difficult tasks. Baner is 
no more ; Baner is taken away when his life is 
needed the most, and Sweden's power is once more 
threatened with ruin. The army of Baner is with- 
out a commander. Discord, selfishness and arro- 
gance are paramount in every mind. All aspire to 
rule. The enemies rejoice at the discord displayed 
in the united armies of Sweden and France, and 
already expect to reap the same advantages as after 
the battle of Nordlingen. 

Ye rejoice too soon, ye enemies of Sweden ! Your 
hope deceives you. Gustavus has reared more 
heroes than one. You yourselves have lost your 
chieftains : Tilly died on the field of honor ; Wal- 
lenstein, sacrificed by your own murderous hands, 
has left no successor ; but the death of Gustavus 
Adolphus has been avenged by Weimar, by Horn, 
by Baner, by Oxenstiern. They have preserved the 
victory and fortune ; Weimar and Horn have, in 
vain, shown you the possibility of conquering ; all 
has been repaired by the firmness of Oxenstiern, by 
the intrepidity of Baner. Baner is dead; but Sweden, 
like that land which fable represents as procreating 
warriors, has already another hero in readiness to 
take Baner' s place. Torstenson lives, and the baton 
of the armies is entrusted to his victorious hands. 
[He was created Field-Marshal (Generalissimus) 
31st August, 1641.] 

Torstenson goes forth to accomplish his task. It 
matters not that his physical strength has given 
way ; it matters not that the prison of Ingolstadt, 
and still more the death of Gustavus Adolphus, have 
left behind impressions which his body can scarcely 
resist — his duties have to be performed ; Sweden re- 



25 

quires his services, and all is sacrificed for Father- 
land. 

He arrives ; his presence re-establishes order ; his 
prudence restores harmony among the chieftains ; 
already he prepares the enemy's fall. But his 
health has not been recovered ; his vigor is im- 
paired ; his exertions are retarded. Three months 
are thus lost to Torstenson' s glory, though not to 
Sweden's service. (1) The enemy believes him still 
in the arms of death, and already he is in Silesia ; 
Glogau is besieged, and in three days taken. The 
enemy, exasperated by finding himself foiled by the 
artifice and sagacity of Torstenson, unite, and ad- 
vance hastily to encounter him. It is to Albrecht of 
Lauenberg that revenge is entrusted. Torstenson 
marches to meet him ; he has more than one reason 
for being influenced by animosity in giving battle to 
this prince. (2) The walls of Schweidnitz are wit- 
nesses of his victory. The enemy, vanquished and 
made fugitive, abandons the fie]d of battle to the 
conqueror, and leaves upon it his commander 
wounded and a prisoner. He dies in the Swedish 
camp from honorable wounds ; he dies in the manner 

of heroes he who let us avert our eyes 

Oh, my king ! Oh, thou great Gustavus ! we have 

lost thee, and in what manner ! 

Neisse, Olmutz, Eulenberg, Neustadt, Oppeln, 
fall into the conqueror's hands ; he advances upon 
Lausnitz ; he desires to avenge the Peace of Prague 
and the defection of the Elector (of Saxony). The 

(1) While Torstenson was during three months invalidated by 
gout, he occupied himself with negotiations with the German 
princes who had joined the Peace of Prague, so that, although pre- 
vented from making any movement with the army, his time was, 
nevertheless, not fruitlessly employed. 

(2) This Duke Frantz Albrecht of Sachsen-Lauenburg is generally 
considered as the assassin of Gustavus Adolphus. Brought up in 
Sweden, together with the King, he was alone with Gustavus Adol- 
phus when the latter fell, and immediately after this disaster he 
went over to the Austrian side, where he took service and changed 
his religion. He was Field-Marshal Avhen, mortally wounded,°he 
fell into Torstenson's hands. 



26 

latter, terrified, implores the aid of Leopold and of 
Piocolomini, both of whom, elated with the victory 
of Nordlingen, consider themselves superior to the 
whole of Sweden' s chieftains. 

But Torstenson upon Leipsic' s battle-field avenges 
Nordlingen's loss. It was there thou for the first 
time didst battle ; thou didst battle there, thou gen- 
erous Charles Gustavus ; everywhere thou didst 
carry the orders given by Torstenson ; (1) thou 
didst behold him, there, conquer on the same battle- 
field where he first had seen Gustavus Adolphus as 
a conqueror of German liberty. Leipsic is taken.; 
Leopold flies to Bohemia ; Torstenson follows him ; 
Gallas covers the dispersed army of Leopold. Here 
both Torstenson and Gallas give evidence of all the 
resources of the art of war, its marches, its most 
scientific and most skilful manoeuvres, and, without 
proceeding to a conflict, they retain equal advan- 
tages. But suddenly Torstenson is missed by the 
enemy ; unusual movements and marches, the object 
of which nobody can foresee, spread terror through 
Germany. Every city fancies Torstenson before its 
walls ; every one is ignorant where this thunder- 
threatening, lightning-bearing cloud will burst ; 
when, at length, the rumor of his victory discovers 
the secret. He is master of Holstein and Jutland : 
Christianpries is taken ; the Danes are beaten at 
Kolding ; this city is conquered, and the Danish 
army, fugitive towards Fyen, leaves the whole 
country in Torstenson' s power. The old hatred 
which, ever since the Union of Calmar, had divided 
Sweden and Denmark, had been rekindled afresh. 
War had burst forth, and Torstenson, to whom 
Sweden' s revenge had been entrusted, had, like the 
thunder, followed the lightning, and had every- 
where spread fear and terror. Gallas, who had lost 



(7) This battle was fought on the plain near Breitenfeld, on Oc- 
tober 23d, (O. S.) 1642, and is generally termed the second battle of 
Leipsic, or the battle of Breitenfeld. Charles Gustavus (afterwards 
King) served here as adjutant to the Field-Marshal. 



27 

sight of his enemy, having learned where he is, by 
the fame of his victories, hastens to seek him. 

He believes that the time has now arrived to pen 
him up between Germany and Denmark. But Tor- 
stenson, similar to a young lion, turns first upon his 
most dangerous enemy; he leaves Helm old Wrangel 
in Jutland, there to pursue his victory, and marches, 
himself, against Gallas. Him he forces into Magde- 
burg, where he keeps him locked in. At Juterbock 
he falls upon the Saxons ; he battles and conquers. 
Gallas thinks himself fortunate in being able to fly, 
but Torstenson follows him into Bohemia. Ferdi- 
nand is in Prague, and has collected all his forces ; 
Hatzfeld and Goetz, the principal commanders, are 
prepared. Torstenson does not await them ; he 
advances to their encounter, and the battle-field of 
Jankowitz bears new testimony to a victory which 
in itself alone would have made him (Torstenson) 
immortal. One of the (Imperial Field-Marshals) 
commanders is killed, the other falls into his hands 
(1). The Emperor flies, and Torstenson pursues 
his victorious march even to the gates of Vienna. 
But here his victories cease ; it would seem as if 
nature had collected within him her last strength, in 
order to enable him to carry his banner to the 
Emperor's capital, and (then) as if fatigued, she 
intended to point out to him the end of his glorious 
course. Prevented by (sheer) impossibility from 
continuing in command, he earnestly prays for a 
successor ; he fears to lose his glory since he has 
lost his physical strength ; he fears still more to risk 
the fortunes of the realm. Christina, in the most 
flattering manner, grants his request. He delivers his 
army into the hands of Charles Gustavus Wrangel, (2) 

(1) Field-Marshal Hatzfeld, five other generals, 4,000 men, 70 
flags and banners, and 26 pieces of artillery, were taken in this bat- 
tle, fought 24th February, O. S., 6th March, N. S., 1645. 

(2) Torstenson was unable to await the arrival of Wrangel, but 
left the army under the temporary command of Wittenberg, Grand 
Master of the Artillery, but the chief command he delivered up at 
Eulenberg, where he met Wrangel on his way home. 



28 

and returns to that Fatherland which he, during so 
many years, had made victorious. 

Peace follows soon upon his return ; a peace (that 
of Westphalia) which gives to Germany laurels, 
liberty, security ; which completes the work of Gus- 
tavus Adolphus, and which firmly establishes that 
balance in Europe which the power and ambition of 
the house of Austria had attempted to disturb. 

Sweden, restored to peace after so long a war, saw 
her youthful queen grow up surrounded by the 
laurels which had covered her cradle ; by an army 
victorious throughout a period of forty years ; 
by statesmen who had dictated laws to Europe ; b}^ 
heroes, of whom one alone would have been suffi- 
cient to confer honor upon his native land. They 
all, but principally Torstenson, received from their 
monarch the most touching, the most honoring 
}3roofs of consideration, friendship and gratitude. (1) 
It was amid general cheering ; it was amid the most 
enthusiastic exhibitions of joy, that Torstenson saw 
the crown of Gustavus Adolphus placed upon the 
head of (his only child) Christina. 

Great heroes often lose, during the calmness of 
peace, the splendor and veneration the}' have ac- 
quired through their victories. In the camp, during 
the vicissitudes of war, when the fortunes of the 
whole empire are entrusted to their hands ; when 
they stand, as it were, prominent before the eyes of 
the present generation and of posterity, their soul 
experiences such great emotion, such powerful 
excitement, that it frequently rises above humanity. 
But Torstenson' s renown is enduring even in the 
very calm his prowess has gained for Sweden. Al- 
ways the same, as free from selfish aims, from selfish 
ambition, as formerly, as ardent in his exertions for 
the welfare of the empire when in council or in the 
government of West- Gothland, Dahl- and Halland, 



(1) The Queen created him, on his return, Count of Ortala, and 
Baron of Virestad, also Governor-General of West-Gothland, Werm- 
land, Dahl-land and Halland. 



29 

as when leading his armies, he retains the confi- 
dence of Christina, the friendship of Oxenstiern, the 
respect of his colleagues, and the veneration of the 
people. Ever attached to the memory of Gustavus 
Adolphus, he frankly opposes all attempts to raise 
a, new dynasty upon the throne. (1) I know that 
it appears surprising to us (to us, who now judge at 
the distance of more that a hundred years) that such 
great men, such loyal citizens, as Oxenstiern, Brahe 
and Torstenson, could, with all the power their sur- 
passing services and a well-merited dignity gave 
them, oppose the succession of Charles Gustavus. 
I know that they are blamed for, that they are re- 
proached with, having harbored more ambition than 
good citizens ought to permit themselves. But we 
are, perhaps, perchance, too severe in our judg- 
ment. Oxenstiern, Brahe, and some of their col- 
leagues, I leave to their own intentions ; I wish only 
to speak of Torstenson. In order to judge impar- 
tially we must remove ourselves to the age in which 
they lived ; we must remember the deep veneration 
they entertained for the memory of Gustavus Adol- 
phus and for his race ; their despair • at finding 
Christina averse to continuing the succession in 
the same line ; and on the other hand, the multitude 
of heroes, of great warriors of all stations, of all ages, 
who surrounded her throne, who had all either 
served under or avenged Gustavus Adolphus, and 
who, accustomed to see princes obey them, looked 
upon Charles Gustavus as upon a young warrior, 
whom they had themselves led on in the path of gloiy 
— one who was scarcely their equal, far less their 
superior ; and who, uncertain whether Christina 
might not some day regret what she had done, and 
still dispose of her hand, apprehended, with reason, 
that with the acknowledgment of two dynasties, 
the intestine discords might be renewed, which had 
torn asunder the kingdom during the bloody dissen- 



(1) See " Memoires de Christine," par Archenholz, 1 Tome, pp. 
172-173, 1 Note. 



30 

sions of the houses of Ericson and Swerker. And 
when we place ourselves at Christina's court, and 
separate the name of Charles- Gustavus from the idea 
of a conqueror, from the idea of that great monarch 
who added to the (Swedish) kingdom the countries 
which we have preserved during our misfortunes ; 
when we consider him only as a young prince, who 
gave hopes of himself, but whose good qualities 
were as yet only maturing in the shade of nearly a 
private life, and whose shining parts were intermin- 
gled with those of so many great men by whom he 
was surrounded, we will soon discover how natural 
the opposition might appear with which the decision 
of Christina had to contend. Christina alone foresaw 
the danger involved in a vacancy upon the throne ; 
she alone foresaw the great qualities of Charles 
Gustavus. Worthy of the daughter of Gustavus 
Adolphus, her choice was also worthy of the throne 
she bestowed. Torstenson, raised to the highest 
place of honor in the kingdom ; to the highest office 
among warriors ; to the highest hereditary dignity ; 
endowed by Christina's liberality with estates which 
made him one of the wealthiest men of his time, 
could not entertain any more wishes for himself. 
As a teacher of Charles Gustavus in the career of 
war ; attached to him by the ties of friendship ; he 
could not expect, even had be been ambitious, less 
of him during his reign than respect, confidence and 
power. But as a citizen he abandoned himself to 
his convictions and expressed his opinion with free- 
dom, without deceit, and without reserve. But if 
any doubt could arise as to his intentions ; if it were 
possible to question the character of a man (who, 
though still in his prime, already stood on the brink 
of the grave) who had during the whole course of 
his life proved himself loyal to his country and void 
of egotism ; if, I maintain, all these reasons do not 
suffice, I appeal to Charles Gustavus himself. It is 
for him to vindicate the memory of Torstenson. 

Charles-Gustavus, this most generous of our sover- 
eigns, has in the achives of the kingdom preserved 



31 

the most honoring opinion that can be expressed by 
a great man, a great king, of a departed hero ; "If 
Segersjo (Tor stenson' s private residence) were situ- 
ated within the courtyard of my castle, the heirs of 
Torstenson should keep it ; for the kingdom cannot 
sufficiently repay his great services, and for what- 
ever I know I am indebted to Torstenson." (1) 

It is the conqueror of Poland, it is he who won 
us the possession of Scania, Halland and Blekinge, 
the Passer (or Conqueror) of the Belt, who speaks 
these words. Jealousy, stand paralysed ; calumni- 
ators, keep mute ! Who is sufficiently bold to ap- 
peal from such a judgment ? 

Torstenson, surrounded by friends and relatives, 
passes in their midst, the few remaining days of a 
life so short, and yet so full of honor. Sufferings 
and pain fill his days, but with the same heroism, 
the same fortitude with which he had borne the 
dangers and fatigues of war, he now meets his death, 
which he regards as a goal all have to reach, and 
thinks it happier to die early than to survive one' s 
self. He dies, and Sweden thinks that all is lost — 
for the loss of a great man is a general loss — and 
what can be said more in his praise than that in war, 
Baner, Horn, Weimar, Wrangel, Turenne, Conde, 
Montecuculi, Gallas, Piccolomini, were his rivals ; 
in peace, Oxenstiern, Brahe, Charles-Gustavus, 
Jacob de la Gardie, Gyllenhielm, were his friends, 
Ms associates ; Christina considered him the prop 
of her throne ; Charles Gustavus looked upon him 
as a father. Worthy pupil, worthy teacher, of two 
immortal heroes, his name shines in the annals of 
war between Gustavus Adolphus and Charles-Gus- 
tavus, and his name is not eclipsed by the splendor 
which these two sovereigns have shed. 

Oh, my native land ! Oh, Sweden ! — (permit me 
this last prayer hefore I finish this speech, which I 
have made in honor of a great man) — mayest thou 



(1) These words of Charles-Gustavus are written in the Minutes 
of the Council. 



32 

long enjoy the tranquility of peace ; but when ene- 
mies arm themselves, when the torch of war is 
kindled by the hand of discord, may est thou then 
find many heroes, who, while they equal Torstenson 
in courage, in prudence, in knowledge, may also 
equal him in devotion, in respect for his duties, and 
in those gentle virtues without which the glory of a 
hero is eclipsed, and becomes often a burthen to his 
Fatherland. 



A closing observation, and this little work goes 
forth as an evidence how even an absolute king could 
appreciate a patriotic subject, who, in the vastness 
of his fidelity, had the moral courage to oppose 
the substitution of a stranger line for that which 
should have sprung from one (Christina) whom that 
subject loved and honored as the true and only, 
however wayward, daughter of the hero in the light 
of whose example he had grown himself to be an 
equal hero. Gustavus III — himself the son of a king 
who obtained the crown by marrying into the Vasa 
line as Charles X, had acquired it through the refusal 
of the rightful heir to accept his hand, and through 
her resignation in his favor — might justly have 
been excused from eulogising a patriot who had so 
bitterly resisted the supersedure of the offspring of 
the genuine stem by a collateral branch. But Grus- 
tavus III ever rose superior to any such prejudice, 
and always sought occasion to hold up Torstenson 
in every respect as an example, not only as .the 
greatest of Sweden' s Warriors, but as the most ex- 
emplary of her Citizens. In his ' ' Utterances ' ' or Ad- 
vice, addressed to the Consistory of the University of 
Upsala, 13th October, 1768, he said, "I have more fre- 
quently observed that young people are better edu- 
cated in their parents' house than those who have 
passed their whole time in a public institution of 
learning. It is out of the bosom of this home-educa- 
tion that we have seen to issue forth the men who 



33 

have honored and increased the Swedish realm. It 
is there, in the school of home, that an Oxenstiern, 
(greatest of statesmen,) a Skytte, a Bjelke, a Baner, 
(" the second Gustavns,") a Torstenson, ("Under 
Sweden's crown, Sweden's greatest commander,") 
acquired their knowledge and the virtues which 
won for them the astonishment of their (the XVII) 
centuiy, and which still excites the respect of our 
own time" (the succeeding one, the XVIII). 



DESCRIPTION OF MEDALS 

PRESENTED BY 

H. R. M. <®&®&M, 

KING OF SWEDEN AND NORWAY, &c. &c. &c. 

TO 

Gen. J. WATTS de PEISTER, 

together with the LETTER, by order of H. R. M., from 
Maul, GkUttt <&nt U *LtW\\\\m\)\, Privy Secretary 
to H. R. M. the King of Sweden, in relation thereto, 
&co. &c. &co. 



Stockholm, December 22d, 1856. 
Mr. J. Watts de Peyster, 

Brigadier General in the United States Service : 
Sir : 

His Majesty's Minister, Resident in the United States, Mr. 
Sibbern, has forwarded to its high destination a copy of the 
"History of the Life of LEONARD TORSTENSON,"* that you 
■wished being presented to His Royal Majesty, my August Sovereign, 
as a testimonial of your admiration of our great Kings, GUSTAVUS 
II. ADOLPHUS and CHARLES XIV. JOHN, and of the former's 
illustrious Pupils in the Art of War, amongst whom the great 
TORSTENSOiSr occupied such an eminent place. 

The King has ordered me to express the high gratification 
afforded to His Royal Majesty by receiving your work, and to offer 

* An elaborate work of over 364 pages, bearing date 25th July, 1855, of which 
three hundred copies were printed, at Ponghkeepsie, for private distribution. 



12 



34 



you, as a token of His appreciation of the sentiments which dictated 
your homage, the hereby joined collection of Medals, with the effigies 
of the great GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, of CHARLES XIV. JOHN, 
and of His August Son King OSCAR. 

His Majesty regrets not being able to add a Medal of the Hero 
whose Biography you have written ; but unfortunately there exists 
no Medal in commemoration of him. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 

Your obed't Serv't, 

(Kolt. (Eount (»rm At IBnwnhaupt, 

Privy Secretary to II. R. M. the King of Sweden and Norway, &c. 

P. S. — Mr. Sibbern having informed me of your wish to posse=s 
a good likeness of the Field Marshal TORSTENSON, I am very glad 
to offer you hereby one, that happened to be in my possession. 

Ct. E. de Lpt. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDALS. 

No. 1. — (2.25 inches in diameter.) — Obverse : Head of King $$(M f 
of Sweden, encircled with the following inscription : OSCAR 
SVERIGES NORR. GOTH. O. VEND. KONUNG. TILL MINNE 
AF D. 20 OCT. 1846.— [Translation : Oscar, King of Sweden and 
Norway, the Goths and the Vandals. In remembrance of the 20th 
Oct. 1846.] 

Reverse : Full length statue on lofty pedestal, in bas-relief, en- 
circled with the following inscription : CARL XIV. JOHANN, 
SEGERSALL, FREDSALL, ap Norrkopings Invanare. [Trans- 
lation : To Charles XIV. John, Victorious, Peaceful, from the 
Inhabitants of Norrkoping. ] 

No. 2. — (2.25 inches in diameter.) — Obverse : Head — encircled with 
laurel wreath — of King Charles XIV. John, of Sweden, surrounded 
by the following inscription : CAROLUS XIV. JOHANNES, 
SUECORUM ET NORVEGORUM REX. [Translation : Charles 
XIV. John, King of the Swedes and Norwegians.] 

Reverse : Full length statue on lofty pedestal, in bas relief. 
Inscription on pedestal : AT CARL XIII FADERNESLANDETS 
RADDARE, FOLKETS FADER AF DESS TACKSAMME SON 
CARL XIV. JOHAN. [Translation : To Charles XIII. (1) the 
Fatherland's Saviour, and Father of his People, by his grateful son 
Charles XIV. John.] 

Under the Monument : PIE VOVIT FILIUS CAROLUS XIV. 
JOHANNES, MDCCCXXI. [Translation : Dedicated with affec- 
tionate respect (dutifully), by his son (2) Charles XIV. John, 1821.] 

Around the whole : CAROLO XIII RERUM SVECI.E 
RESTITUTORI PATRI PATRIAE. [Translation : To Charles 

(1.) May 13, 1809, the Duke of Sudermania, Uncle of the King (Kustafous IV., 
deposed and banished, was elected King of Sweden, with the title of Cfjarlcs XIII. 

(2.) John Baptiste Julian Bernadotte, Prince op Ponte Corvo and 
Marshal of France, was, on (21st Aug. ?) 3d November, 1810, adopted as the Son 
and Heir of the reigning monarch of Sweden, Cljiulrs XIII. 



35 

XIII., the Restorer of the Swedish Commonwealth, and the Father 
of bis Country.] 

No. 3. — (2.05 inches in diameter.) — Obverse: Head and Bust in 
Armor of^ttU'tttl'ttiSi ^VtfotpUutf, King op Sweden ; surrounded by 
the following inscription : GUST. ADOLPH. D. G. REX SUECLE. 
[Translation : Gustavtjs Adolphus, by the grace of God, King of 
Sweden.] 

Reverse : Image of the sun in bas-relief ; surrounded by the 
following words : TOTUM HAUD CAPIT INTEGER ORBIS. 
[Translation : The entire world scarcely contains the whole (of his 
glory, understood).] 

Inscription on a Roll containing the following Portraits, from 
Colonel Count (&t\t At |Cm'f tthKttpt : 
A Portrait of Field Marshal ^ovstcnsscm ; 1 

a king (&n$Uv\\$ If. gutolpteujai ; i ah good 

" KING (ft&arlWl $$W. foItU ; (3) | likenesses. 

" King (tifitw f. j 

Offered by Count ERIC de LEWENHAUPT, to Brigadier 
General J. WATTS de PEYSTER, as a token of HIS ap- 
preciation of " the life of g£araard ©ovs'tenson. 



TrvoLi, New York, / 
April the 18th, 1857. f 
Colonel Count 

(f t*ir At ^eivenlutupt : 

Privy Secretary to H. B. M. the King of Sweden, &c.: 
Sir: 

It is with sentiments of no ordinary satisfaction that I 

acknowledge the receipt of the Medals with which His Royal 
Majesty OSCAR, the King of Sweden and Norway, has been 
pleased to mark his gracious acceptance of my History of the great 
and illustrious TORSTENSON. 

Please permit me, through you, to express to His Royal Majesty, 
the extreme gratification which I have experienced in receiving 
these testimonials of his pleasure, conveyed in such nattering terms 
as they are by your esteemed letter, and to assure him that they will 
be preserved by myself and family as precious memorials of appro- 
bation from a Sovereign of that country which, the champion of 
civil and religious Liberty in its darkest hour, is now invested, and 
especially to the American mind, with such glorious reminiscences 
and such brilliant hopes. 

With sentiments of grateful consideration, 
I am, Sir, very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 
(Signed) J. WATTS de PEYSTER. 

(3 ) On the 5th of February, 1818, Bernadotte, as Charlrs XIV. JJoftu, suc- 
ceeded to the throne of Sweden, vacant by the death of his adopted father, 
etjarles XIII. 



36 

Tivoli Post Office, State of New York, ) 
April 18th, 1857. f 
Colonel Count 

(&vxt (U ICfwentmupt : 

Colonel and Count : 

As an officer, and one belonging to a service 
which resembles in many respects the Indelta of your country, I 
feel that I may use a military frankness in expressing to you the 
great pleasure with which I have received your present of the like- 
nesses of their Royal Majesties, OSCAR, CHARLES JOHN, 
GUSTAVUS the Great, and of Field Marshal TORSTENSON. 

To you, a Swedish Officer, the name of TORSTENSON must be 
synonymous with genius, courage, and all those qualities which 
make and grace an illustrious warrior ; and I can assure you that, 
although no Swedish blood flows in my veins, yet a Swede cannot 
feel a deeper affection and higher admiration for his memory than I 
do myself. 

Alive to the glorious past of that kingdom to which Germany 
and all Europe owe, in a great measure, the religious freedom they 
enjoy ; the annals of your country, since my earliest boyhood, have 
been a most instructive study and delightful recreation ; and I can- 
not, therefore, think that you will deem me a trespasser upon your 
time and patience, if — to express my own hopes and feelings — I 
quote a sentence from Turner's beautiful introduction to his 
translation of Geijer's History of the Swedes: 

" A new era of peace, of rapidly advancing prosperity perhaps, 
" too, if the aspirations of ardent patriots cany trustworthy presages, 
" one of Union, in which the three nations" — Swedes, Norwegians, 
Danes, — " of the Northern Peninsula will present a compact and 
" united front, that may bid defiance to any foreign aggression — has 
"now risen upon them. To Sweden, whose power has but rela- 
" tively declined, while absolutely it is much greater than ever, the 
" foremost place will no doubt be yielded ; and a brilliant prospect 
"opens, which will yet be realized. Meantime honor and regard 
" should wait on this ancient and warlike nation, which keeps watch 
" \>y the Polar lights over the portals of the East-Sea and the West. 
"To her are committed the keys of Europe, the vanguard of 
" civilization. And if ever the day should arrive, when the legions 
"of the Muscovite shall march to conflict with those of the West 
" and South, her post will be one of danger, and doubtless of glory. 
"Once she was the arbiter of the European system ; she may yet 
" be its preserver." 

Considering this a private communication, I will add, that, 
appropriately bound, the four portraits which you have sent me will 
lie upon my study-table, beside the interesting and honored Memoria 
of your august Sovereign's gracious approbation ; for a commenda- 
tion of my labors, so disinterested as yours, is a high, if not the 
highest, source of gratification which I, as an author, could receive, 
and doubly flattering when transmitted by a gentleman so conversant 
with our language, and an officer of elevated rank in that service to 
which my hero belonged. 

In conclusion, I may say that, considering my labors as still 
imperfect while there can yet be any thing done in illustration of the 
greatness and glory of TORSTENSON, and regretting my absence 
from those materials which the archives of Scandinavia can alone 
furnish, I would still be under great obligation to you, if, suitable to 
your convenience, you would be pleased to refer me to such of those 
materials as either in their original state or through copies, might be 
procured for transmission to the United States. 

With sentiments of respect and high regard, 
I have the honor to be 

Your obedient servant, 

J. WATTS de PEYSTER. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESSES 

021 550 405 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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